Yeah, I decked. Luckily it wasn't bad at all. I popped off before I placed any gear, below the flake where I imagine to be the first piece. I was just putzing around down there trying to fiddle in an RP before committing to the first real move that would take me up to that flake. Anyway, I had my right hand on that big crimp and all of a sudden it went POP! and I was off. I landed squarely on both feet on that little ledge, absorbed the impact in my legs and basically bounced/hopped down from there onto the ground, still upright on two feet. My partner caught me and kept me from tumbling backwards... Spooky, but otherwise OK...

I am sure WASP is well within my wheel house but, what did I learn?
1: Don't try face climbs on hot, humid days.
2: I am a ninja/cat.

Daniel,
Neither did I.

I found myself working into the 5.7 R-ish section with gear I thought was maybe so-so below my feet. Ended up down climbing to put in another, bomber, piece at the top horizontal before committing. I think if one was to fall from that section and a piece blew there, well I doubt it would be pretty.

The other awesome part of that climb was the looks I got when I told people I did the second pitch also...

Parker, if #2 is correct, then you are FUGLIEST cat alive. I can't speak to your Ninja skills, however you did manage to sneak right up Insuhlation like a Ninja.

October baby!

Rob,
You don't believe me ask Mobley!
On Insuhlation I just didn't want to disturb that big ol' snake you were hanging out with...
And we know YOU would FAIL the ninja test...
Rob:"Watch me here dude", "Yip! Yip! Woooah!"
Hilarious!
October indeed...

Three Vultures: P1 is a good pitch for the new 5.9 leader. If you can get off the ground to grab the good edge, you've done the hardest move. I'm short and it took me a couple tries, but once I got the edge it was no big deal after that. Two more little thin moves to the pro and the whole pitch is in the bag. P2 (which I followed) is really the money pitch, but it doesn't have any moves as hard as P1. Mentally P2 is harder, though, with an awkward flaring crack and then an intimidating (but easy) traverse.

Keep on Struttin': P2 is not for a new 5.9 leader. Burly pitch with hard moves right off the GT ledge with poor pro; then up above the pro is good when it gets hard but it is a real keep-it-together and hang-in-there situation. I was following this but I thought it was one of the harder 5.9 pitches I've been on in the Gunks. P3 is also rated 5.9 and it's a great introductory 5.9 lead. Good face climbing with great pro, almost all of it 5.7 to 5.8-ish. One interesting but not strenuous move at the very end of the pitch and you're out.

Red Cabbage: Surprisingly fun climb. Good pro, more pumpy than you might think for a couple moves. Then you escape around the corner and it's all easy. A good choice.

Keep on Struttin' would make an excellent introductory 5.10b. But at 5.9+...no way Jose!

Any 5.9+ in the Gunks or Adirondacks should be given a very healthy respect for it's grade. They are often serious leads, with strenuous positions. let's remember that climbers back in the day were reluctant to call anything harder than 5.9.....so a lot of harder routes were bumped up into the ceiling of 5.9+. There are plenty of 5.10's that I have led that were easier than some 5.9+'s. A short list of fearsome 5.9's in New York...

Keep on Struttin'
Le Teton
Beatle Brow Bulge
Grim Ace face
Bloody Mary (Poke-O)
Phase Three (Poke-O)
The Great Dihedral (Poke-O)

The rating system should go like this...
5.9-
5.9
5.10a
5.10b
5.9+
5.10c
5.10d

approach all 9+'s like that and you won;t have any surprises

You know Rob, Dick has Keep on Struttin' as a plain ol' 5.9 in his 2004 book. No plus. I think it deserves a plus if you do it Dick's way off the GT Ledge with the start directly below the roof, and for the move right after the bolt, up to the jugs that are then strenuously followed left.

"I've seen 5.11 divided into 11 different grades of increasing difficulty, as follows: 5.11a, 5.10d, 5.11-, 5.11b, 5.11, 5.11c, 5.9 squeeze, 5.11+, 5.10 OW, 5.12a, 5.11d" — Brutus of Wyde.

(RIP, Brutus).

And everyone knows that 5.9+ is harder than 5.11a!

oh I forgot Obstacle Delusion. 5.9+ my ass!

You might want to add Psychosis at Poko to that list, another one whose grade is explained by your commentary.

Bloody Mary is an AMAZING bit of climbing for 1959. Turner would have been shod in shoes worse than today's approach shoes and had a few soft-iron blades and maybe a ring angle. (People go up there nowadays with cams--often doubles---up to 2" and maybe a bigger one for the crux layback.)